Half to robert t



(No Model.)

W. J. BROWN.

FASTENER FOR SHOEs 0R GLOVES.

No. 395,768.. Patented Jan. 8, 1889.

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IVILLIAH J. BROIVN, OF JERSEY CITY, NElV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO ROBERT T. MEANS, OF SAME PLACE.

FASTENER FOR SHOES OR GLOVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,768, dated January 8, 18819.

Application filed March 10, 1888. Serial No.266,908. (N0 specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ILLIAM J. BROWN, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fasteners for Shoes, Gloves, and Kindred Articles, of which the following is a specification.

I will describe a fastener emliiodying my improvement, and then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a shoe having my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a view of a glove having the improvement applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of a shoe, showing certain means for securing a shoe-strin g near one end. Fig. 4 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, showing a securing device which I may employ. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a spring shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Similar letters of reference designate corre spondin g parts in all the figures.

A designates a shoe, which may be of the usual or any desired construction. The lacing-pieces of the shoe are provided for a certain distance with lacing-hooks a.

In my improvement I employ but a single shoe-string, B. In Fig. 3 I have illustrated more clearly a convenient means for securing the shoe-string, near one end, to one of the lacing-pieces. In the means shown I pass one end of the shoe-string through an eyelet, b, at the lower end of one of the lacingpieces and comprising one of a series of similar eyelets, Z). A portion of the shoe string having been drawn through the eyelet, 1 form a loop, 0, in the shoestring and pass through the portions thereof a securing-piece. (Here shown as a double-pointed U-shaped piece of metal, D.) The points of the securing device having been passed through the two portions of shoestring forming the loop, the ends of the securing device are bent down against the material, when the two portions will be firmly secured together and the shoe string will be prevented from drawing out of the eyelet.

J designates a securing device for the other end of the shoe-string. Such securing device formed of. a coiled spring. One end of said spring is provided with a loop, 6, and the other end thereof is decreased in diameter, as at f. A port-ion of the shoe-stringhaving been passed through the opening at the end f of the spring, the same is drawn through the spring and a knot, g, is tied in the shoestring. The shoe-string being then drawn baclnvardly, the knot g will prevent the with drawal of the shoe-string through said opening and the string will he thus secured to the spr i u The operation of securing the securing device J to the shoe-string is of course to be performed after the shoestring has been interlaced through the eyelets I). hen. it is desired to secure the shoe upon the foot, the shoestring is laced back and forth over the lacing-hooks (4 until the upper ones of the latter are reached. The shoe-string is then passed about the upper portion of the shoe and brought around so that the securing device J occupies the position shown in Fig. 1. The loop e on the securing device J is then passed over one of thelacing-hooks a and the shoe-string is secured.

My improvement, as used with a glove, is in all respects similar to that upon the shoe and used in the same way, except that the end of the lacing-cord which is passed through the eyelet I) need not necessarily be secured by a securing device, such as D, but may simply have a knot tied in it, which will prevent its withdrawal through the eyelet.

My improvement forms an elastic fastening for the upper portion of the shoestri11g,which, while being very secure, will render through the hook-fastenings and have a yield about the ankle and consequent freedom of movement.

By the use of a fastening device such as I have described for the lower portion of the shoe-string the latter is not only securely held, but the shoe-string will be fiat against the foot, and when the lacing-pieces are drawn together will be effectually concealed.

I am aware that it is not new to combine a cord and a spring, and that said combination has been used in various arts, and such I do 2. As an improved article of manufacture, a fastener for shoes, gloves, and similar articles, comprising a string or cord, a coiled spring contracted near one end and provided with an opening through which the string or cord may be passed to secure it to the spring, said coiled spring being provided at its other 20 end with a hook or loop, substantially as specified.

WILLIAM J. BROWN. Vitnesses:

JAMES S. GREvEs, MAURICE J. RoAoH. 

